A friend sent me the following video clip, and said I might find it interesting. He’s a good guy and knows a lot about Naperville, so I thought, it must be interesting. When I opened it, I noticed it was about 15 minutes in length. My attention span is typically very short, but knowing he wouldn’t send me anything not worth watching, I waited until the end of the day, when all my daytime chores, projects, and tasks were completed, so I could give it my full attention.

The clip is about Naperville Central High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award, given to Class of 1978 graduate, Mayor Steve Chirico. It took him 39 years to finally get recognized by NCHS. It’s not that long, considering I’m still waiting for recognition from my high school, Barrington’s Class of 1963. Time is running out for me, but I still keep hoping every time the phone rings.

The Mayor is serving his first term in office (elected in 2015), after being elected as a council member in 2011. Though Watchdog did endorse Chirico’s mayoral run, Watchdog did not endorse Chirico’s council candidacy in 2011. The lack of endorsement did not stop his election. His election gave Watchdog the opportunity to be very critical of Chirico in a number of postings.

I’m not sure if Chirico began to change for the better, or if Watchdog began to learn more about the character of Chirico that caused Watchdog to change. I think, without a doubt, it’s the latter. I’ve learned that he’s focused, appreciative, and grateful. I’ve learned that he’s big enough and secure enough to admit mistakes (not easy to do), and he wishes he could occasionally have ‘do-overs’; a second chance to do it right. I don’t think we often see that, especially in politics.

The Mayor and I don’t agree on everything, but nor do my wife and I agree on everything. Mayor Pradel was good for Naperville and Mayor Steve Chirico has also been good for Naperville. I truly hope we can say the same thing for the next mayor of Naperville, whomever that might be.

When you have the time and open-mindedness to invest 15 minutes, the following video is well worth the investment of time to learn more about the person behind the title.

City Council Watchdog

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